Glimpse
by FirefliesWish
Summary: Raven will have to tell the team about her destiny sooner or later. Slade will be there to push things along. Rated for safety. Slight BBRae in ending. CHAPTER 4 IS UP
1. Reality

Hello! FirefliesWish here welcoming the willing readers with open arms!...Or maybe you're here by accident and wanted to read that _other_ story. Either way, I'm happy/panicky about my first fic ever. Please review when you are finished, give a reason if you want to flame. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of Teen Titans anything. If I did, I would make it so crazy, the show would be cancelled.

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Glimpse

Chapter 1

A warm summer night engulfs the bay at the location of Titans Tower. The island itself seems to be breathing calmly as the dark-blue stained water glimmers with the reflection of the ever white, waxing moon. The enchanting scenery couldn't be more perfect, soothing and quiet. This was the type of night Raven admired. And she would have, had she not been tossing and turning in bed, her mind plagued with the events of her birthday.

_-Flash-_

"_It's been a long time, hasn't it Titans? A Month? A Year? A Millennium? Far too long for my taste, anyway."_

_**-Flash-**_

"_There is nothing to celebrate."_

_**-Flash-**_

"_I have to say Raven, when I found out the truth I was very impressed. All this time, I had no idea the power lurking inside you. The glorious destiny that awaits. It's always the quiet ones, isn't it?"_

_**-Flash-**_

"_You do not wish to partake in the nuts of dough? It is like eating sweet, tiny wheels!"_

_**-Flash-**_

"_What you have concealed, you **will** become."_

_**-Flash-**_

"_Come on, Raven. I know you hate fun, but it's your birthday. It's special. You can't let _

_this day end without—"_

"_NO!"_

_**-Flash-**_

"_But honestly, did you think you could just blow out the candles and wish it all away? Today is the day it begins. You've known this all your life. It is going to happen. And no matter what you wish... no matter where you go... no matter how you squirm... there is nothing you can do to stop it."_

_**-Flash-**_

"_No! This is just a vision…this can't be real!"_

_**-Flash-**_

"_You're going to destroy the world, Raven."_

_**-Flash-**_

"_Oh…and happy birthday."_

Raven suddenly jerked awake, sitting up her dark room gasping for breath. Several beads of sweat had formed along her forehead and temple, and were now slowly gliding down to her chin. She was still breathing heavily before telling herself that she was acting foolish. Just as quickly she had sprung up in fear, Raven collected herself and regained her calm and unfeeling state. After doing so, she glanced to her window that revealed the dark but serene night. She let out a sigh and thought to herself, 'This is just stupid. I'm getting worked up over nothing. My birthday…was...that was months ago.'

Raven sighed again, but this time, she leaned back to her pillow, causing it to make a small _thump_ upon impact. Closing her eyes, Raven stroked her hand over her forehead to wipe off the sweat and comfort herself in the process.

"Get a grip. It was just a dream," she said aloud.

"Oh…you and I both know it's not 'just a dream' now…" said a voice from the shadow closest to Ravens bed.

Raven's hand froze in place as her eyes shot open. Her mind dove into chaos, racing with thoughts that tried to convince her that she was hearing things. 'That voice…it can't belong to him…it does! But he's not here! That's impossible!'

Raven tried to move her body to get a clear look around the room, opposed to the ceiling that she had been staring at for the last split second while thinking in disbelief. She had succeeded, but her body was shaking from fear. Raven felt as though it was no longer blood that ran through her veins, but ice that was splintering her entire body, paralyzing her.

Her mind was swarmed with thoughts as she fixed her eyes on something in the darkness. She felt reassured that she was not going insane and hallucinating, but the feeling was fleeting, for it also affirmed the sinister truth. Staring back at the red glow of the mark of Scath, all Raven could do was sit in horror. The figure bearing the mark of Scath was now barely but visibly outlined; just enough to see it edging out from one of the triangular like walls that somewhat separated Raven's bed area from the rest of her room.

It was none other than Slade who stepped forward into the thin beams of moonlight that escaped into the room. Ignoring the shocked and bewildered expression on the titan's face, Slade continued in an eerily cool tone that sounded deathly when dragging out the last word of his sentence.

"It is…a _reality_."

Raven quickly snapped out of it. Casting away her previous fear as if it was a charade, Raven struck Slade against the opposite wall with a materialized "shadow-claw," letting out a fierce yell in the process.

"Aaaaargh!" Ravens eyes were now white, indicating the large amount of power she had released. Promptly following was the sound of Slade colliding into the wall with a thunderous _BOOM_, chunks of the wall clattering to the ground and dust rising from the area. The cloud temporarily obstructed Raven's vision as she glided towards the middle of the room, hoping to see a fallen Slade. But when has he ever retreated after one blow?

Slade's stone like fist quickly met the face of the hovering titan as he rocketed forward with supernatural strength. The hit launched Raven backwards, causing her back to crash into the angled bookshelf. Several tomes, caused by Raven's impact, fell while a groan of pain escaped her mouth. In an almost bowing position, Raven looked up seeing Slade casually walk over and made eye contact.

Whether it was quick reflexes, or a force of habit, Raven's eyes glowed white once again as she raised her aura encased hand to lift the books that lay next to her. In an instant, she had hurled them to Slade's head. He didn't even bother to block the attack, something Raven had noticed about Slade ever since the battles that took place on her birthday.

His head was now positioned so that it was leaning all the way back. The rest of his body stood frozen as the nauseating sounds of bones and cartilage grinding and snapping suddenly made themselves present. Slade was repositioning his head without the aid of his hands, in a zombie like manner. His eye reappeared from behind the mask and he continued forward.

Raven lunged in anger at him and the fight lasted another several minutes with the occasional, but small, explosions and battle cries. At last, Raven found herself leaning against a wall with a single trail of blood trickling down from the corner of her mouth, uniform grayed with wear and physically exhausted after being flung three yards through the air into the wall. 'I can't keep going on without the rest of the team,' Raven thought desperately. Although she hated to call for help, Raven knew her odds if she were to continue. Slade didn't delay the fight to let Raven think of a strategy as he wrapped his fingers around her hair, lifting her off the ground so her seemingly limp body dangled a foot off the ground.

Raven's eyes narrowed as she focused on his masked face, hissing menacingly through gritted teeth, "…_Slade…_" She was wearing the most loathsome expression on her face. Slade merely chuckled.

"Feeling so confident in fighting me, you wanted to stop and chat?" He replied in an amused tone. Slade's eyes narrowed as well, but into a taunting glare.

"I just didn't want to keep the battle all to my-SELF!" And with that last word, Raven slammed her fist into the security alarm button that was installed in her room and conveniently behind her at the moment. Raven had never used it before, but knew well where it was located. Up until now, Raven couldn't reach it, but realized it where it was when Slade picked her up so she could see the bookshelf behind him.

Seeing that he was tricked, Slade threw Raven once again, but to no avail as the alarm was sounding through the entire tower, accompanied by red flashing lights. He walked over to Raven, wishing to inflict some last minute pain while they were still alone. The once slumbering titans would soon be coming.

* * *

Robin awoke in a startled manner and seemed to be momentarily hypnotized by the bright red numbers on his alarm clock.

"1:37? Who tripped the alarms?"

The boy wonder fumbled out of his bed haphazardly to run to the source of the problem. He only prayed that he wasn't getting stressed over one of Beast Boy's pranks.

Starfire was woken up immediately and gasped quickly while heading towards the door. Thinking it was Robin who sent the alert, Starfire flew to the direction of the living room.

Cyborg was the next to wake up. He was quite aggravated since his power was only charged up to about one quarter of what it should have been. He grumbled to himself as he started for the door, preparing himself for some grueling battle that would take place half-way across the city when he heard the sound of something heavy falling. 'That came from inside the tower…' he thought. He started to run, mentally noting that he would kick himself if someone managed to break into the tower _again_. After the incident at Titans East and when Terra betrayed the team, Cyborg was bent on upgrading security codes in the tower.

Cyborg was about to run right past Beast Boy's room without a second thought until a very audible snore came from his room. Cyborg groaned inwardly as he changed his course to the changeling's bedroom. What he found didn't exactly surprise him, but this was an emergency situation, and he thought Beast Boy would know better.

Beast Boy had cotton wedged in his ears and his alarm clock was smashed on the floor next to a sledge hammer. His sleeping form was on the verge of falling off the top bunk when Cyborg voice suddenly boomed a rude awakening.

"YO, BEAST BOY! GET YOUR BUTT IN GEAR! WE GOTTA MOTOR!"

"WHOA!" Beast Boy exclaimed as he fell off his bed, arms wavering in the air for balance. It was too late. "Oof!" he stared up at his robotic teammate, and long time best friend, "I didn't do it, I swear! You gotta believe me!" he said in his half-cracked, pleading, nervous tone as he put both hands in front of his face in defense. Cyborg gave him a stern look that said 'Beast Boy-you're-not-in-trouble'. With that, the green teen sat up, removing the balls of cotton with a small _pop_.

At that moment, Starfire hovered to the doorway, with a quizzical look on her face.

"Friends, is Raven not with you?" Her emerald eyes showed concern for her missing ally.

"She must have been the one to trip the alarm," Robin replied as he joined the small gathering, "But why—"

Robin was cut off by a thunderous crash that echoed down the hall. The teens turned their heads in unison to the direction that lead to Raven's room. "Titans, MOVE!"

The four distraught teens were now racing down the hall. At some point, the alarms were disabled. Slade was now standing in the same place from where he threw Raven, but his fingers were intertwined in the wiring in Raven's wall which was now crackling with electricity. He didn't flinch as sparks flew from the entanglement of circuitry. Infact, there was no sign at all that Slade was feeling pain. He stood still waiting patiently for the others to come, but it seemed that he was getting distracted by the blaring sirens so he fixed that problem first.

"TITANS—" Robin shouted after bursting through her door. Starfire, Beast Boy and Cyborg stood close by in their battle stances. They didn't know exactly what to expect, but a break-in from Slade was something that had never occurred.

Starfire gasped as her eyes widened from pure shock. Cyborg was just as dumbfounded.

"No!" Cyborg was completely surprised, but it was sudden fear that had hushed his tone.

"Slade…" Robin wore his signature death glare as he prepared for an immediate battle. His retractable bo staff was gripped tightly in his palm as it extended swiftly with a _click_. There was a short deadlock while both sides glared at the opponent. This was broken by Beast Boy who had just realized where the missing titan had been.

"Raven!"

The other team members quickly remembered that it was Raven who raised the alert, and they all turned to focus on where she was.

Barely visible, was a dark mass that was partially covered by some rather large chunks of wall. The light from the hallway fell onto the pile, revealing an unconscious Raven who was slumped in the rubble. The titans quickly turned their attention back to Slade who had not moved since they arrived. Slade looked back at them with a contented gleam in his eye, half satisfied with himself that he had enraged the teens. However, his main objective was yet to be completed. Meanwhile, Raven's breathing was noticeably becoming heavier in the background.

In an even-tempered but serious tone, Robin spoke, saving his bottled up rage for the fight. The battle was about to begin.

"Let's go."

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**What a strange and annoying place to stop this chapter  
**

Sorry if I put BB in a bad light earlier, I can be un-neccasarily descriptive. I basically have this whole story planned out, but I want to know what you, the reader think will happen. Review! I'll give out pie. Pie is better than cake. Everyone loves pie. Mmmm.


	2. I don't know

I'm back! (grins) But first, **I need to apologize to the viewers who couldn't review before!** I didn't realize "Anon. reviews" was disabled until about a day after I posted the first chapter, so you can review now if you don't hate me…

And a heads up to all: There's a good chance I won't be able to update this story for about a week because of the evil Final Exams. Yeah, I've still got school because of snow days and junk. Ok, so one more interruption (Reviewer Responses) and then we can let the action commence!

**Reviewer Responses:**

**Angel Caida: **Yes, yes it was. I have the need to point out the obvious sometimes.

**Skeet:** Thank you! I started having doubts as soon as I posted it up. Pie is good. Maybe I should give out Popsicles next time, it's hot out.

**CalliopeMused:** Thanks, I'm glad you liked the first chapter! I had a hard time making Slade as hate-able as his character is (to me, anyway). I neglected to mention in the first chapter that this is what I imagined "The Prophesy" to be before it aired. Hopefully, that explains why I picked a topic lots of people have already written about. I watch too much TT, which might be how I picked up on each character's "essence", if you will. But, I think I proved that when I had the idea of putting actual episode quotes in the story.

**swirlyeyes28:** Only after you have tried my homemade Glorg…and agree that I have more camels. (hahaha!...our inside jokes are weird…)Thanks! It was meant to be dark, but Beast Boy will have his "moments" and lighten the mood in some places. I mentioned earlier that I imagined this as if it were an episode, so don't expect a Harry Potter length novel. Sorry to break your heart (and anyone else's for that matter), but I _will_ come out with better and longer stories as time goes on. If that didn't answer your question, I would say 5-ish chapters total, depending on where I decide to end chapters and such.

**Raven42431:** Another story? Sure, this is my first and (so far) only original story/idea. I may offer to do requests later on. I'm working on a Romeo/Juliet parody featuring BB/Rae, but it's insane (not like the style I've written this story in at all) and it still needs tweaking. That one will come out later this summer.

_Thanks for reviewing! I really appreciate this, so here's the next chapter!

* * *

_

Chapter 2

The fight began without hesitation. Robin charged straight into Slade for a full frontal assault while Cyborg and Starfire covered his blind-spots from the sides. Beast Boy's job was to recover Raven.

Robin chose to stick with hand to hand combat, as some of his explosive disks were powerful enough to demolish what was left of Raven's room, and leave a gaping hole in the tower, no less. Slade seemed to humor Robin, as he countered every one of Robin's martial arts moves without unleashing his new fire based abilities.

"Why are you here!—ngghh—What do you want with Raven!—rgghh—Who are you working for!—Gahhh!"

Robin was swinging his bo staff furiously towards Slade, too enraged to notice how his temper dulled his skills. Slade easily landed an uppercut on Robin who was flung backwards instantly. Starfire retaliated with a barrage of starbolts. Cyborg didn't have a clear shot, but he was faced with other problems. The brief recharge left him with roughly three full blasts from his sonic cannon, and if he were to shoot now, he would draw attention towards Raven's direction. Beast Boy was having trouble digging Raven out; turning into anything from a bear to tiger, he finally succeeded in morphing into an animal with the limb strength to haul away the debris. Beast Boy freed Raven and changed back from his gorilla form to bring Raven back into consciousness.

"Raven? Raven, can you hear me? C'mon, you gotta wake up! Say something…"

Raven groaned softly, but it was obvious that she was too weak to do anything. Scorch marks left on her leotard suggested that she had suffered at least second degree burns while fighting Slade on her own. Beast Boy proceeded with plan B of their strategy: if he couldn't get Raven to wake up, he had to get her out of there quickly and as far away from the fight as they could get.

Beast Boy picked Raven up by the waist and slung her arm around his shoulders, propping her up on his side. He started to head for the window, preparing himself for the transformation into a pterodactyl when Starfire flew in front of his path. She crashed into the structure that resembles a raven's beak above the bed, causing it to crumble. Beast Boy stopped to see if Starfire was hurt.

"Ugghhh…" Starfire sat up, rubbed her head and looked at her hand to check for bleeding. Starfire seemed to recover quickly, thanks to her Tameranian strength that naturally boosted her melee skills.

"Star! You okay?"

"Yes, you need not have concerns for me, Beast Boy. Raven must be taken to safety immediately; her injuries are far worse than my own." Starfire replied, adding a reassuring smile.

Beast Boy smiled back and nodded. It was then from the corner of his eye that Beast Boy noticed Slade slowly approaching them. Robin was struggling to get up from against the opposite wall. His broken bo staff lay near Cyborg who had used two of his three shots and spent the rest of his energy dodging the flaming assault from Slade. Both were hunch over on hands, knees and elbows.

Beast Boy didn't notice how hard the team struggled with occupying Slade as he dug Raven out from the wreckage. Slade was closing his distance from Beast Boy, who was backing away slowly, careful not to turn his back towards Slade. Starfire raised herself as her eyes glowed an acid green color, but she hesitated, making sure her moves were not too sudden.

"Are you going to let your friends have all the fun? Or were you just nice enough keep Raven company until I annihilated her as well?"

"Leave her alone!"

"She's already alone."

Slade was caught up in the moment and didn't notice the two powerful beams that were heading straight for him until it was too late. Starfire hovered some mere feet away, her eyes smoked in the corners from the intensity of the attack.

"You will **not** threaten to harm my **friends**!" Starfire emphasized her words in response to Slade's comment on Raven being 'alone.'

Slade got up, he was a few feet further than before, but suddenly looked more dangerous from that distance.

"How touching…"

It only took a nanosecond for Slade to go from 0 to 30 (sounds slow, but we're not talking about cars at the moment…). Flight was a relatively new ability, but since everyone excluding Raven and Robin was frozen in time during the last encounter, it comes to no surprise Beast Boy and Starfire were stunned.

"What! Since when can Slade fly!"

"Beast Boy!" Starfire dove to tackle the two before they got hit by Slade. They landed roughly on the ground, especially Beast Boy who was under Starfire. There were no injuries, but something was missing…

Clenched in Slade's outstretched hand was the hood of Raven's cloak, which was the only thing that was holding her up.

Starfire rolled over and they both realized what had just happened. They were both ready to pounce on Slade when he suddenly held out his free hand in the gesture that symbolized 'Stop'.

"Don't worry about Raven," Slade said as the two titans rose to there feet.

"No…" Beast Boy said quietly, he wasn't sure what Slade planned to do, but it didn't spell anything good from the way he spoke.

"You will meet up soon enough. We have some preparations to make for a very special guest."

Slade lowered himself to the ground, but he didn't stop there. Infact, his body started to go past the floor itself, the way Raven travels through barriers.

"No!"

Beast Boy ran as fast as his legs could push him, but it didn't seem to be enough. It was almost like watching Slade slip away frame by frame in slow motion, until at last, the top of his head was nowhere to be seen. He slipped away again…and this time, he has Raven.

_THWUMP_

Beast Boy slammed his fist on the ground where Slade escaped. There was no telling where he could have gone. He was supposed be dead. Right when it seemed things were resolved, he returned, more dangerous than ever. 'So close…' was the thought that was stinging Beast Boy's mind, he was only a second too late. A second too late for what? What was it that Beast Boy would've done if here was there a second earlier? Could he really saved her anyway? Deep inside, Beast Boy started to feel useless as the thoughts entered his mind.

Starfire was speechless. She was angry at Slade, she felt worried for Raven and she felt scared for what might happen next. Seeing Beast Boy hunched over on the floor on that exact spot Slade had been hovering over only a minute ago, eyes shut tight from anger made Starfire wonder what she could possibly do now. Beast Boy seemed in an unstable state of mind, and it didn't seem wise to talk to him right away. Being the youngest member of the team, Beast Boy had insecurities from the beginning. Now that a notorious villain was able to break into the tower and snatch a helpless titan, he felt worse inside because he was partially responsible. 'Perhaps he needs a minute alone…' this had become the most chaotic hours in Titan's history yet.

Across the room, Robin began to stir. He flipped himself over onto his back but groaned from exhaustion. He suffered from some cuts and bruises, but it was the burns that immobilized most of his body. Even his polymerized titanium cape was torn.

"Robin!" Starfire quickly turned her attention to the wounded leader. She flew over with speed and landed softly besides Robin. Carefully, she lifted Robin into a reclined position in her arms. She held him in this motherly fashion, listening intently for what he was trying to say in a strained voice.

"Wh…where's…Raven…?" Robin weakly inquired. Starfire looked with wide eyes into his mask. She opened her mouth slightly as if to take in breath for a long speech, but when no words could be found, she closed her mouth and blinked sadly away. She wanted to look anywhere but his face at the moment.

It was silent enough in the room for Beast Boy to hear Robin's question. He slowly opened his eyes, no longer angry with himself. It seemed like Robin's question got through to him and calmed him. Beast Boy was staring at the floor, but when Starfire didn't answer, he turned his head in their direction. He wore a solemn expression on his face while Starfire's eyes resembled those of a lost child. She was silently pleading for an answer to give to Robin from Beast Boy. He responded by looking down, as if to say that he was defeated. Starfire understood the message and proceeded to take Robin to the medical lab. The words 'I don't know' just didn't seem good enough.

* * *

**5:57 A.M.**

It had been hours since the titans were defeated single handedly by Slade. Worst of all, they found themselves in a hostage situation with no known motives.

Starfire sat quietly in the center of the circular couch with her head down in deep thought. Robin recovered a few hours ago and was now searching for anything and everything about Slade they had gathered recently. He had been sitting, glued to the large monitor for clues. It seemed like his unhealthy habit of obsessing over Slade had resurfaced. Robin was so tense, he snapped at anyone for interrupting his investigation.

Starfire recalled the last time Robin had overreacted and hurt Starfire over Slade. That was back when Slade was 'dead' and the chemical reagent had tampered with his brain, almost causing him to kill himself. The thought triggered fear in Starfire, and she began to worry about the fate of her friend. Slade had caused Robin to betray his team. Slade had confused Terra and she nearly wiped out the city. Slade had caused Robin to go into temporary insanity without even being there. Now, Slade was back, and was hunting Raven. He succeeded in capturing her, but for what? Starfire did not want to think of Slade's intentions.

Looking up, she saw that little has changed in the room since the last few hours. Robin sat with his eyes affixed to the screen searching for answers. Cyborg had removed a metal plate from the wall and was working on the wires. Trying to improve security, no doubt. Beast Boy was not present in the room because he was still resting. Finding no other means of assistance, Starfire glided to the kitchen nook to prepare breakfast. This day had started in a horrible way indeed.

* * *

Not exactly a cliff hanger, but I bet you're wondering what will happen next. Sorry for the short chapter, that's just how it ended up the way I separated events. Did the Titans seem OOC to you, or is it just me? Don't forget to review, I'm curious to know what you think might happen. Maybe I'll make this story longer than I intended if I get enough suggestions. Stay tuned for the next chapter! 


	3. Sunny Days

It's the anticipated chapter three! Well I think it is anyway. So, I finally got into a double digit number for reviews, YAY! A small accomplishment, but it's definitely something to me as a first time author. Seriously, knowing that people have read and reviewed your story is an awesome feeling. It totally makes up for a crappy day. So read, **and don't forget to review! **Speaking of reviews…

**Reviewer Responses:**

**Angel Caida:** Well, here you go!

**haruechan: **Thank you! I'm sorry this took a while…

**CalliopeMused:** Ah! I'm relieved. Thanks for reviewing the last two chapters, I felt so surprised and honored (not kidding, you were an inspiration) that you read my story, I really didn't know what to say. This installment is a little longer, but it should be just as good (I hope…).

**Jordanals:** Thank you! Although, the world won't be destroyed in this particular story. Maybe in a sequel…

**foxlady: **Yup, very stupid. But you got the second chappy now, so let celebrate with pudding! Hey wait…is it vanilla? You know what that means…(Mwuhahaha)

**AnimationWickedRaven:** Thank you! The dorks shall rule the world! Ha…no. Seriously though, if you're willing to read and review my story, you are a very cool person in my book. I saw your profile, and I was wondering if you could give me some suggestions on a new story when this one is over (in about two more chapters—oh no!).

**ILUVBBRAE:** Thanks, I'm flattered. Yes, Raven was captured…that was evil of me—(points to Slade) HE DID IT! (runs away). I hope you like this chapter!

So this one is longer, but it was worth the wait! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I forgot to put up one of these last chapter. Oops. I don't own Teen Titans…but I've got snicker doodles!

My hyper friends: Hand them over!

Ahh! Run away!

Chapter 3

* * *

**6:32 A.M.**

Beast Boy woke up unusually early morning, but it was far from any ordinary day. Yet another teammate was in the clutches of Slade. Except Raven wasn't given a choice like Robin (or blackmail, in his case) and Terra, she was kidnapped.

Beast Boy couldn't sleep at all from the weight of guilt. 'How could I just let him escape? Why couldn't I just leave when I had the chance? None of this should've happened. I was supposed to get her to safety…and I failed. I'm so stupid.' His hope was slowly fading as time inched forward. He didn't even notice how long he was staring at the ceiling of the room until he noticed that it got brighter.

Beast Boy turned his head towards the window. The shades were down, but the rays of sunlight that hit the window made it glow white. There was no way he could sleep now. But wait, it's been hours. Hadn't the others found something? No, the alarms would have gone off. But…Slade ripped the wire for the siren in Raven's room. Maybe they found something, maybe they know where she is. What if she's back already?

Beast Boy jumped off the top bunk and ran out of his room. The doors of the living room _swooshed_ open to reveal…not Raven. His hopes once again plummeted as he walked into the room. He sat down at the counter with his head in his hands. It was a lot brighter in this room than his bedroom. The perfectly sunny day seemed to be mocking them all. Bad events are often personified by bad weather on those TV shows, but it seems bad things can happen on sunny days too.

He glanced around after his eyes adjusted to the light. Starfire had her back turned to him to make a meal. She was silent the whole time, save the tiniest "hello" she uttered just above a whisper when Beast Boy sat down. He didn't hear it. Robin looked like a mad man, hunched over in contemplation. His mask only emphasized the dark rings they couldn't hide under his eyes. Beast Boy shouldn't be the one to talk though, because his eyes looked just as bad. Cyborg had a box of tools he was cleaning up near the wall. Beast Boy smiled weakly on the inside; it was funny that there would be anything Cyborg _doesn't_ have in his arm. Beast Boy turned back, focusing on himself and how he wasn't doing anything until Starfire held a plate up to his nose.

"Eat. I have prepared you the tofu eggs…do you desire the milk of soy as well? I can fetch—"

"No Starfire, you don't need to. This is fine…thanks."

Awkward silence reigned once again in the ironically lit room. Finally, just as everyone almost forgot he could talk, Robin spoke.

"This doesn't make sense!"

Everyone had jumped up at the sound of his voice. He spoke the words everyone was thinking, but his tone was unnerving.

"Robin please, the answers will soon be found. Raven will be okay."

Starfire put a hand on Robin's shoulder in her best effort to soothe him. Robin was hushed, but he wore the same hardened face he had plastered on since he started researching.

"Starfire is right; we should have a little more faith in Raven. She can handle herself."

Starfire looked up and smiled at Cyborg. Even though she was the first to speak up optimistically, she wasn't sure if she believed her own words. Starfire felt hope flood back to her. Beast Boy felt a little better as well. Robin leaned back in his chair and let out a heavy sigh and he stroked his chin.

"But that still doesn't mean we should leave her there. We have to save her…wherever she is…"

The boy wonder trailed off leaving the other three Titans to stand in silence. Cyborg and Starfire began to list suggestions, only to have their ideas rejected by Robin.

"Maybe he just wants revenge?"

"Don't think so. Ever since he has returned he's only been after Raven. There must be a reason she's the target and not us."

"Perhaps he is attempting to gain a new apprentice?" The words felt a little harsh as everyone thought back to Terra.

"I already thought about that. But why would Slade need an apprentice after getting these new powers? None of it connects."

After a moments thought, the old Beast Boy returned and spoke up.

"Maybe it's a cry for kids. You think he would settle for a simple adoption; then again, that's gotta be one sorry ki—oww!"

Cyborg had elbowed Beast Boy in the arm. Luckily for him, Robin wasn't paying attention at the moment.

Starfire interjected before the boy wonder realized what Beast Boy had said.

"Is it possible Raven possesses knowledge that Slade requires?"

"Could be…but I've found no leads on that yet."

Beast Boy jumped onto the couch and propped up his feet on the table with both of his hands behind his head.

"No way," he said casually, "if Slade wanted knowledge he doesn't possess, why has he captured me yet?"

Robin turned around so everyone was now staring at the changeling.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"What?" Beast Boy raised an eyebrow as the others sweat dropped. Before anyone could say something, the screen that had been filled on information on Slade turned to static, causing a very disruptive noise. Robin quickly turned around to remedy this problem but nothing he did could stop it.

"The signal has been jammed." He continued to tap the keys in several different combinations until the screen cleared. The only problem was that Robin didn't actually solve the problem. Instead, the four Titans were staring back to an all too familiar orange and black mask.

"Waiting for an invitation?"

"Slade! What have you done with Raven?"

"Haven't figured it out yet Robin? Tsk, tsk…you must be slipping."

"Answer my question!" Anger was slowly building inside of Robin.

"There's no need to be impatient…see for yourself." Slade stepped aside and revealed Raven. She hung limply from three long, golden chains that shackled her by the wrists and neck (For those of you know of Wolf's Rain, imagine Cheza in the containment chamber). She seemed conscious because her eyes were open, but they were glazed and searching…as if she were blind. Slade stepped back in place invoking more hatred from the Titans who wanted to know more. "Better find us quick before the surprise is ruined. Oh, but don't worry…Raven will be safe with me until then."

And with that the screen blinked to black, leaving four perplexed teens standing still. Robin was the first to move, turning his head down with fists clenched and face wrenched into a snarl.

"Cyborg, can you trace the signal?" His question seemed more like a demand. Cyborg typed something into his arm.

"Got it."

"Alright, let's move."

* * *

Slade watched the screen turn off before he turned around to face Raven. Raven seemed to have more strength now, but she was still under a spell that restrained her from seeing.

"What's the matter? Aren't you happy your father will be visiting soon? He told me everything you've been trying to hide all these years…who you are…"

Raven narrowed her eyes to the ground. Weakly but defiantly, she responded to Slade.

"You…can tell my father…_to blow it **out his**—_"

—SMACK—

Raven's head was turned as far left as it could go. She didn't move it after the slap had landed but remained silent as Slade circled around her.

"Don't be so difficult with me. I know everything about you. But you can't even tell your friends the truth. That's who you think they are, aren't they?"

Raven's eyes opened slowly. Her hands balled into fists as Slade continued to sting her with his words. "Well, we can't have that. You shouldn't be so selfish, Raven, keeping this glorious destiny to yourself…but that will all end. You know the other Titans will be looking for you, and when they find you, they will learn the truth about you."

"Leave my friends out of this!" Tears started to stream down her battered but still petal soft cheek.

"Silly child, it's your fault they are involved, and there's nothing in the world that can stop what began on the day of your birth."

* * *

The Titans found themselves walking down a tunnel that seemed to stretch on for miles. They had found a secret entrance close to the location of Terra's monument near the fault line of the city. Though, it was quite noticeable where they were heading as steam shot up from the smallest cracks in the rock tunnel.

"We have journeyed a long distance, have we yet to reach our target?" Starfire's voice echoed through the dark abyss.

"Yeah, we're miles underground; if we go any farther we might reach hell."

"No kidding. But I guess it's not that surprising since we're looking for Slade."

"C'mon guys, focus. Raven is still in danger and we have no idea what Slade has planned for us."

They continued down the path, carefully eyeing their surroundings. The claustrophobically close tunnel eventually opened up to a more spacious area that was illuminated by several large torches. The room seemed hotter with the walls the color of wet terra cotta. On the other side of the elliptical room was a colossal metal door. It was etched with many intricate designs that gave it an ancient air, but the sheen seemed to indicate otherwise. Robin reached for the handle, hoping to see Raven behind the door but instead received a searing burn on his palm.

"Aaaghh!" Robin yelled out in pain as the handle hissed from contact.

"Robin!" Starfire rushed to his aid.

"I'm fine."

"Yeah, but how are we supposed get past that door? It'll fry us like tofu bacon!"

Robin looked down at his gloved hand. The green rubber had melted and looked a little warped. Pushing the pain to the back of his mind, he reached for his utility belt.

"There's more than one way to open a door." Robin said in a determined tone with four disks tucked between his fingers.

"Starfire, Cyborg; give it all you've got."

The next thing that came was a deafening explosion that made the floor they were standing on quake. Robin wasn't afraid of anything collapsing because the rock was pretty stable, hence the hasty action. There was a soft patter of pebbles hitting the ground as the thick cloud of dust made the air semi-opaque. The Titans rushed through the newly made entrance and entered the strangest room they have ever encountered.

They had walked into a craggy cavern about the size of two football fields. The stalactite covered room was the color of burnt sienna, and the smell of sulfur lingered in the atmosphere. There was a large crevice in the room that was the source of the blazing heat in the cave. That was because a stream of magma was steadily flowing at the bottom, giving the surrounding area an ominous glow. The strange thing about the room was that there were highly advanced machines and instruments in the room, equipment one might find in a genetics lab. Even more outlandish than the metallic substance that splotched the floor occasionally, was a single antique table in the center of the room. On it, were some rather archaic looking relics arranged with several vials filled with strange powders and shriveled roots. The room was too dim to see precisely what the substances were. While the room had perked curiosities, Robin did not forget their mission.

"Okay guys, Slade should be in this room. Fan out and search for him."

"That won't be necessary."

The teamed turned their heads trying to find the direction Slade's voice came from. Starfire's eyes caught something near the high ceiling and pointed her arm in the direction.

"There!"

The Titans looked up, but it was not Slade who met their eyes. Dangling at a dangerous height by three lone chains was a violet haired girl. Raven lifted her head slightly, staring blindly at the space in front of her.

"Star…Starfire?"

"Don't worry Raven! We'll get you out of here!" Cyborg shouted. A look of anguish and desperation appeared on Raven's face.

"You shouldn't have come! I'm not worth it. I'm not worth any of it…"

"What are you—"

Beast Boy was cut off by a blast of fire that shot up in front of the group. Everyone shielded their eyes from the flash of the flames. They were too distracted by the feeling of being swallowed in the heat to notice Slade walk out from the shadows behind Raven.

"What a surprise…you finally made it."

"You won't get away with this!"

"You're so quick to accuse me, Robin. You really should look before you leap."

"I didn't come here to be lectured! Hand over Raven!"

"Wouldn't you rather talk first?"

"TITANS, GO!" Robin was sick of listening to Slade, and it was obvious that Raven was in critical condition. The four teens rushed forward to attack Slade, but he did not move. He stood still on the metal pathway suspended in the air that was behind Raven. Slade waited until the others were about to jump over the large crevice before he raised an arm and snapped his fingers. There was a burst of flames shooting from the ground once again, similar to the first. The difference was that the flames were higher, and separated Robin, Cyborg, Starfire, and Beast Boy. The fire consumed the oxygen within each individual circle, slowly disorientating the Titans one by one. Before they knew it, everyone passed out while Slade prepared…

* * *

Robin came to, noticing that he was laying on a smooth metal surface and that there must have been something very bright in front of his eyes. He finally opened them and stared at something that he had never seen before. Robin rose looked at this strange thing that looked like a red stream of flowing liquid lightning. Actually, he was surrounded by them. It was then that he realized that they were bars to a cage. He looked past the bars and saw the others in cages identical to his; they were all lined up in a row. Robin was next to Cyborg, who was next to Starfire who was next to Beast Boy on the other end. The others started to wake up as Robin go at good look at their surroundings. They were still in the same room, but now they were suspended right above the crevice with the river of magma oozing below. Robin got out his bow staff but paused when Slade spoke out of nowhere again.

"I wouldn't try that if I were you. The bars of your cages are made of a highly concentrated matter in the form of plasma (Quick lesson in matter: the four phases are solid, liquid, gas, and plasma. Plasma is all over the universe, usually making up stars, but the only form of plasma on Earth is lightning. Carry on)that can melt the flesh off your bones."

Slade was standing at the ancient table now, looking up to the suspended teens.

"I'm not going to fall for any of your tricks, Slade." Robin proceeded to extend his bo staff. He only swung once before the red glowing "bars" cut through the metal staff with as much ease as a hot knife through butter. One half fell and clanged against the edge of the large fissure before falling into the magma, while Robin held the other half that glowed red at the site of contact.

"Tricks are for kids," Slade said menacingly. The others were completely awake now, thinking of a way to get out of their traps. As if reading their minds, Slade continued, "And if you try to escape, I can simply activate the detonators at the top of your cages which will drop you to your demise. If that's not enough reason to listen to me, I still have Raven in my possession."

Robin was glaring at Slade, but then his eyes shifted to Raven, who looked like her spirit had been broken. Robin hated the idea of submitting to Slade once again because his friends were at stake.

"What do you want, Slade?" Robin was sure Slade had a smile on beneath his mask.

"Good, Robin. Let this be a lesson to listen to your superiors," Slade made sure his tone was the most condescending he had ever used. "You've been chasing me around for quite a while now, haven't you, Titans? And yet you know nothing. Maybe it's time you should get to know each other better before you start to understand someone like me."

"What are you getting at?"

"Raven has some things she's been itching to tell you."

"Don't…" Raven said in a pleading tone. It was the first in what seemed like a long time that Raven spoke again.

"Having trouble finding the right words? Don't worry, I can assist you."

"No…!"

Slade wasn't listening. He began to chant an incantation, or at least, that's what it sounded like. Suddenly, Raven's back arched and squeezed her eyes shut. The others stood horror struck, trying to figure out what Slade was doing.

"What is…happening?" Starfire watched anxiously.

Raven suddenly threw head back and let out an earsplitting scream as two crimson beams shot from her eyes. The next thing that everyone was aware of was unimaginable gusts of winds surrounding them. It was impossible for any of them to hear or shout anything. Their ears were popping from the pressure and it felt like they were being pulled into a black hole. The wind ceased abruptly and soon the only sensation that was felt was a spinning dizziness. Beast Boy was still trying to stabilize himself when it had ended and noticed something funny. Since his eyes were still closed (like the others), he had expected to hear the clang of metal as his foot landed in place. Instead, he heard a soft _clop_ as if he were walking on cobblestone. He opened his eyes and found an entirely new scenery.

The Titans were all standing in the middle of a small courtyard surrounded by a lush garden filled with over a dozen different varieties of flowers. The sun shone strongly giving the square a live atmosphere. The four Titans all stared in awe in this little "Hanging Garden" until Beast Boy took the words out of everyone's mouth.

"Uh…where are we?"

* * *

Ahh! Those evil cliffhangers! You know, I hate those, but I seem to be writing a lot of them anyway. So…I hope this was long enough! I sure thought it was a lot to take in. Are any of you really annoyed by that "phases of matter" interruption I added in there? I just needed to clarify that the bars weren't made of goo. Other than that, I laughed at myself for having Slade make even the most innocent of cereal slogans sound evil. Haha. I really enjoy doing this now…unfortunately for this story, it will end pretty soon—just because I wanted it to end where it was supposed to; this was my favorite theory for a possible Teen Titans episode. Anyway, chapter four will come out soon (two more Exam days, YES!) so keep an eye out for it! 


	4. Down Memory Lane

Hey, I'm not dead after all! But after you guys get through me for not updating this long, I will be. Something is going on about prohibiting reviewer responses in the fan fics, so until everything is all cleared up, I'm afraid I won't be able to put them up. But I'll have you know I read every single one I get.

As my best friend who is the master of all that is sandwiches (and randomness) put it, I guess this will be a guilt chapter. I had intended it to be quite a few pages longer, however, I would feel worse to make you guys wait any longer. And I really don't blame anyone who had to reread the last chapter just to remember what the heck this story was about

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans. Also, I am (pretty much) aware of Raven's comic past, so please don't leave flames because I had "such-and-such" acting a certain way.

* * *

Chapter 4

The sky was golden and a small breeze carried the scent of lavender around the air. The white washed walls had golden borders embossed with intricate designs of twisting vines. The architecture resembled of something like an ancient temple untouched by civilization, like a true work of art made by nature. The entire space breathed of tranquility and peace.

The four teens stood still amongst the surreal paradise, speechless and gathering all that was logical in this place, but found none. The silence was soon broken by the girl who was no stranger to feeling out of place.

"This…is an illusion? Slade has tricked us with holograms?" Starfire gently touched a butterfly perched on a nearby orchid. The insect reacted with a small flutter of its wings, and flew past Robin.

"I don't think this is another trick. Somehow…he must have transported us here…using Raven."

"Well, where ever we are, it's not earth. My locater is on the fritz." Cyborg was tapping several buttons, but the screen remained fuzzy.

"So, this is Slade's big plan? He sent us to relax in some planet on vacation? I wonder if they have mopeds here…what if we're on the planet of Space Amazons!" Cyborg smacked Beast Boy upside on the head.

"Focus, B. This is not the time for your harem fantasies with mopeds."

"That's it!"

"What is?" Cyborg eyed Beast Boy, not knowing what he was thinking.

"Slade's plan is to distract us in this fantasy world while our bodies will serve as soldiers in his army of zombies! Oh, why this!" Beast Boy clutched his head in a melodramatic manner.

"Oh woe is us." Cyborg said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.

Robin started rubbing his temples. It was getting hard to concentrate with Beast Boy's outbursts of notions.

"Will you guys just stop arguing for just one second?" silence fell upon the group once again. "First things first; we need to find out where we are—for _real_." The last word was emphasized just as Beast Boy raised a pointed finger up.

"Yeah, that's gonna be real easy…" Beast Boy said as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Perhaps we could ask for directions?" Starfire innocently inquired. (A/N: she's just so darn naïve, it's cute)

"I…don't think so Star…" Robin tried forcing a smile. 'If only it were that easy…'

A soft pitter patter was heard in the distance. Beast Boy's ears perked up as the sound approached.

'What is that? Sounds like…footsteps and…laughter?'

"Hey guys," Robin, Starfire and Cyborg looked up, "do you here that?"

The thick overgrowth of plants obscured the source of the nearing sound, but it wasn't long until they saw a tan, leather bound ball appearing from behind some potted plants. The ball bounced far in long arches, hitting the ground each time with a muted thud. A small girl tailed it, her long hair fluttering behind as she ran. By the looks of it, she must have been no older than four years old. The ball bounced into a clay vase that lurched slightly on impact. The girl gasped and ran to the vase before it hit the ground. The vase slowly tipped forward, but the girl caught it from underneath. Her eyes squeezed shut bracing for the crushing weight as the pot leaned toward her. Robin snapped out of his gaze and started running toward the unknown girl before she got trapped underneath the pot that was a foot taller than her. The others noticed this and started running as well. In a last effort to stop the vase, the girl pushed forward with all her weight, standing on her tiptoes. She heard the bottom of the pot softly grind against the tile ground and didn't feel any increase in the weight against her. She opened her eyes and let out a sigh of relief. Carefully, she tipped the pot back with her arms still clutched to both sides of it.

"Well, that was close…" She finally spoke. The Titans had slowed their pace as soon as they saw that she was in no harm.

"Hey, are you ok?" Robin asked lightly as they approached the child. No reaction. He neared a little closer, the team behind him with curious looks on each of their faces. The girl did not respond. She was not even aware anyone had spoken to her, and went to pick up the ball that had escaped from her. Robin raised an eyebrow, confused why the girl was ignoring him.

"Snubbed by a toddler? That's low…" Beast Boy suddenly said. "Lemme try to talk to her," Beast Boy said as he stepped forward. "Hey, we need some help. Do you think you could…"

His hand reached forward to touch her shoulder, but instead went right through it. "Whoa!" He retracted his hand quickly as the girl bounced her ball happily, oblivious to the group of teens surrounding her.

Beast Boy shivered before turning around to face the others. "Was that?—Did you?—And I?—What just happened?" His hand was still shaking. The others looked at him with wide eyes, then turned to Robin for an explanation.

"Hologram?" His voice a little unsure.

"But Robin, could a hologram push this…?" Starfire's hand rested on the vase from before; it felt quite solid and was unmoving.

"It could have been an illusion." His voice was firm now.

"But what was the point of that? It's not like the time we were trapped with Mad Mod." Cyborg responded.

"I've had it with all of this weirdness!" Beast Boy marched up the girl who had walked some feet away while dribbling her ball. "Who are you?" he asked in a raised voice.

A faint breeze passed by and blew some of her hair away from her face. It was then that he wasn't sure if the sunlight was playing with his eyes; her hair looked…violet? She had stopped bouncing her ball and was now looking at the birds that flew about in the sky. Beast Boy kneeled down and studied her face slowly.

"…Raven?"

* * *

"What!" Robin was completely confused now.

"Just look at her!"

"Indeed she does have the likeness of Raven, but she is so small…and is ignoring us…" Starfire waved a hand in front of 'Raven.'

"But what does this all mean?"

"Hey, I'm just happy she isn't out to get us."

"Hey…!" a small voice echoed.

They watched the girl chase the ball once again, disappearing behind some more plants.

"Why don't we follow her? It's not like we're doing anything now…"

"I don't think we have a choice in the matter…" Robin said suddenly. They gave him confused looks until they saw what he was pointing to. Parts of the courtyard were starting to fade away. It was as if someone was holding a torch in a dark passage; they had lagged behind, and now the darkness was catching up behind them. The Titans quickly went through the path that the girl had taken. When they caught up, she was still playing with the ball and there seemed to be voices coming from another room.

"Since when do holograms do that?" Beast Boy asked, jerking a thumb behind to the path they had taken.

"I'm beginning to suspect these aren't holograms…" They waited for him to continue, but were interrupted by 'Raven' again.

"Oh shoot!" She squealed quietly. The ball had almost bounced into the room with the voices. She hugged it tightly with her back against the wall next to the door. She let out a sigh, but then her eyes widened slightly. She turned her head presumably to eavesdrop on the discussion inside. Beast Boy stepped closer towards the door.

"What? It's not like they can see us." Everyone nodded and got closer to listen as well.

"_But is it the best thing? She's only a child for heavens sake!"_

"_Well what can we do? There's no denying what will happen in the future."_

"_It _could_ happen, there's no definite way of telling—"_

"_And when has a prophecy from Azar been proven false?"_

"…"

"They're talking about me again…" the girl whispered to herself. Her face was void of expression. Who knows what thoughts were in her head as she listened.

"_She's growing you know. We can't act like everything is under control. If we are to ensure everyone's safety she must learn control."_

"_I understand that, but…"_

"_But what?"_

There was small pause before the person continued.

"_The fate of the world rests in that young girl's hands. To never show emotion…to never laugh again at the expense of someone's life. How do you say that to a child?"_

The team was huddled on the side of the door opposite of the girl. They exchanged nervous glances and peered over to the girl across from them. She had remained quiet for some time now. When she finally spoke, it was barely above a whisper.

"You don't have to worry. Please don't worry. I don't want anyone to get hurt 'cause of me. I don't want to hurt. I wouldn't…never."

Her face was almost expressionless, save a false small smile. There was just the faintest trace of fear as she played with her fingers while looking away towards the ground. The hug on her ball tightened as she slowly slid down to sit.

Just who was she? Was she really Raven? But Raven had never mentioned anything like this before. Nothing made sense. A strong wind suddenly whipped around them, and the pulling sensation was back. The scenery dissipated as if the wind was eroding it away. The wind wasn't as harsh as the first time; Beast Boy squinted as he lowered his arm that was shielding his eyes. The others were doing the same thing. Everything around them was bright white but it still felt like there was solid ground beneath his feet.

* * *

Silence. They opened their eyes cautiously, to make sure it was really over. The white light that had stung their eyes was gone. Infact, it was quite dark; a completely different scenery.

The air was cold, and felt slightly damp. It was like the feeling you got entering a basement on a hot summer day. They waited a moment for their eyes to adjust to the darkness. The Titans found themselves in a desolate tunnel. Off in the distance was the faintest tint of blue light.

"Everyone okay?" Robin asked quietly. The place had been eerily silent with no signs of life around. Starfire and Beast Boy nodded while Cyborg let out a sigh.

"Location still unknown. How long do you think we will be here?"

"As long as Slade wants us to be here," Robin said, starting to make his way towards the dim light off in the distance. Starfire gave a look of concern to the boy wonder. They started to follow their leader down the path without uttering a single word. Starfire hesitated to speak when she caught up to Robin, but carefully started to talk.

"Robin…? Earlier you said that what we were seeing may not have been holograms. If that is true, then what is going on?"

"That's right Starfire. They really weren't holograms. At first nothing added up, but then we saw the girl, how everything started to disappear unless it was near her, how she looked like Raven. I don't know what Slade is planning, or how he did what he did, but I have a good hunch that what we're experiencing…"

The light grew as they finally reached the end of the passage. The Titans stepped though two large doors that hid the source of the light. They had entered a large room that was cathedral like. The walls were made of the same carved rock as the tunnel, but the room was filled with millions of candles which made the room glow with life. The ceiling had large circular window made with various colors of stained glass. The light that spilled down gave the floor a multicolored pattern that was almost hypnotizing. On the far end of the room sat two large torches with blue fire on an elevated platform. Between sat a woman that looked rather aged with long silvery hair, and what appeared to be a young girl. She had purple hair like the little girl they met before, but this girl's hair did not reach her back, nor did she wear a loose fitting robe. This young girl had shorter hair that was just shoulder length, and was wearing a unitard. Starfire, Beast Boy and Cyborg gaped at the sight of the girl who was quietly chanting something as four crystals being levitated was rotating between herself and the woman.

"…is Raven's memories." Robin finished.

The words 'Raven's memories' echoed in the minds of the teens who watched a seven year old version of the person they knew meditate across the room.

"So, we're in the past?" Beast Boy said while raising an eyebrow.

"No, that's not it. We're just seeing the recollections of certain events. That's why we couldn't touch any objects or people; we can't affect them because we're not _in_ the past, just seeing it. And since its Raven's memories, we can only see what's around her and not other places at the same time since she wasn't there."

The group shifted their attention back to the young Raven. The familiar mantra often heard during the quiet dawns in the Titan's common room had seemed like distant memory until now. They gazed as the girl calmly levitated in her trademark lotus position, the aged woman intently watching as well. It was strange; watching this girl brought some sort of comfort inside, only logic contradicted the feeling because it wasn't truly the Raven they knew. But who was the Raven the team knew all these years?

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos… Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos…" The girl repeated. The four crystals circling in the air in front of her slowed slightly. The woman focused her eyes noticing the change in speed.

"Concentrate, Raven. You must not lose your focus; Clear your mind and concentrate." Her tone was rather strong for someone who looked so brittle. The authority in her voice sent chills down even Robin's spine (no doubt everyone else's). Small creases grew between Raven's eyes as her shut eyes began to squeeze together. She continued to chant but it was becoming evident that her concentration was slipping, her mind wandering somewhere else.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos…Azarath…Metrion, Zinthos…Azarath, Met-trion, Zinthos…" The woman looked disappointed.

"You're not trying hard enough. Don't get distracted by something as simple as my voice. Focus!" Raven's eyes squeezed tight and her voice grew a little louder. The crystals, however, started to wobble as they continued to orbit the empty space between Raven and the mysterious woman. Raven's frustration finally hit its limit as she shouted her last three words.

"Azarath…Metrion…ZINTHOS!"

One of the crystals shattered midair as the rest fell to the ground, no longer held under Raven's control. She jumped up, quickly gasping as she realized how she lost her focus. The surprise in her face faded quickly as anger took its place. She growled under her breath and descended on her two feet, the shards softly crunching underneath her shoes. The woman let out a tired sigh, unmoving from her sitting position.

"That's the third time you have failed to maintain your focus. If you keep this up we may have to double your training!" The young Raven drummed her fingers against her crossed arms. She looked determined to keep her head turned away to the side as her eyes searched for something to stare daggers at. "Come now, we're going to do this again; this time, 30 minutes more." Raven's eyes widened in disbelief as her arms dropped to her sides. The speed at which she turned around to face her mentor could make you flinch.

"30 minutes _more_! I already practice 6 hours a day; that's totally unfair!"

"Raven…" The warning in her voice rose slightly.

"No!" Raven shouted, "I'm sick! I'm sick and tired of this! I'm stuck in here while everyone else is off having a life out there! I don't want to do this anymore!"

The woman finally rose to her feet and didn't open her eyes until after taking in a long breath. The four Titans who had remained silent during this time slowly edged to the side, bracing themselves for the yelling to come.

"Whether or not you 'want' to continue, you must and _will_ control your emotions," the woman stated in a low monotone, "and I suggest you calm down before anything else is damaged."

"…Why…?" Raven asked in a low trembling voice just above a whisper. The woman didn't answer her. "Why do I have to do this? Everyone has emotions, why can't I do what everyone else can!"

"Because you are not everyone else!" the woman said, raising her voice for the first time. She took another breath to even her tone. Raven watched her, waiting for her to continue. "The only thing you should worry about is doing what you are told and—"

"And why am I not like everyone else…?"

"I did not say that."

"But…you meant it. I'm different, and you know why. Tell me." Raven continued to glare up at her. There was silence as the old woman stared at the determination in the young girl's face.

"The situation at hand is far beyond your comprehension, child. You just wouldn't understand."

"I bet." Raven spat. The woman certainly had a longer fuse than her obstinate student, but her patience had worn thin.

"Why must you make things so difficult?" Anger starting to rise in her throat.

"Why can't you just answer me?" Raven began shouting again.

"You want to know?" her question sounded more like a statement, "You want to know why we spend countless hours meditating here inside sacred grounds? It is so 'everyone else' can, as you so put it 'have a life out there.'" Raven held her gaze on her elder as she continued. "Your emotions are dangerous; more destructive than any force of nature."

"I know that." Raven stated hotly.

"So you know. Is that why you are so persistent in avoiding our daily sessions? Letting out your anger without a care in the world? Because you can be selfish anytime you want, end the lives of billions—end the _world_ because you have the control over the influence your father has on you."

Raven gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes. Her breathing was shaky; was she holding back tears?

"You say you want to do what everyone can. And you say you know the extent of your…abilities. Do you want to fulfill your destiny? After all of our efforts to prevent the inevitable? Raven, is this what you want?" Her tone was no longer harsh, but the words stung Raven. She stood her ground, looking more defiant than ever before, yet her voice completely betrayed her.

"No." She said with a high cracked tone, her entire body was shaking. The woman's gaze softened.

"I expect great things from you, Raven."

With the swish of her robes, all the candles of the room blew out. Only the blue flames illuminated the room. As the sound of her footsteps faded Raven could only bend her head down and sob. The tears were flowing in a steady stream as she gasped for breath. She stood in the semi-darkness crying for several minutes until she slammed the side of her fist into a stone pedestal next to her. She opened her eyes slowly and glanced at her fist. Her fingers uncurled gingerly as she willed away the remaining sniffling.

"…ow…"

* * *

Thanks for not losing faith people. Click on that review button, and you may succeed in getting me to procrastinate from my homework to write the last chapter before the year ends… 


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